While I cannot accurately comment on what "everyone Knows" I can share my personal experience.
I had a 24' bayliner buccaneer and while it probablly won't win any races it served it's purpose well and had standing headroom,head,stove,and plenty of freeboard.
I now have owned a 1976 Bayliner Buccaneer 320 center cockpit designed by william Gardner and built in Wash.State.
While not a racer (nor am I) It makes a great coastal cruiser and has for the past 4-5 years for myself and my family as we sailup and down the eastern seaboard of the USA between the fingerlakes in upstate NY and this year the keys.
I've logged many miles back and forth from tampa to the fingerlakes.
We are having a send off gathering this afternoon at a marina on the seneca-cayuga canal in Upstate NY and wil be casting off in the next day or so across the NYS canal system to the Hudson then south.
Often the Bayliner is "Talked down" by folks who never owned ,operated ,or sailed one.
For the $1000 I spent on this one , it's been and continues to be an incredible value and immesurable pleasure for us.
Sea-you on the water

Regardless of the brand or model power boat you decide on I would be concerned about the drive train, particularly an Outdrive system that was continuously in salt water, fresh water would be OK, at least in my book, but I have had friends who had fairly nice power boats with outdrives that were constantly in salt and over time it became a costly experience.

I realize you intend to be on the hook with little intention of travel but fuel will not be getting cheaper so the comments regarding expense for motoring may not apply to you personally but if your intention is to sell later it could be a concern for others in the future. I always buy with the thought of selling at some point. So if I was going power I probably would go diesel, natural aspirated engine - something I could work on myself, meaning likely a trawler. My 2 cents.

I wasn't trying to offend anyone with my comment about Bayliners JTC. When I hear Bayliner I associate it with powerboats. I've been out on a couple of them & this verified what I've have heard about these boats for 30 some years. This is just my opinion & we all know what people say about opinons.

I have lived aboard a 42 foot trimaran with some home comforts, namely a gas got water system and electric heating and cooling, but I lived on a berth with water and power supplied. It was like living in an apartment at a fraction of the rent and with far better views--and one did not need a car as I could walk to the shops and the pub was within staggering distance. I loved it--especially the bit where I could pull in breakfast while slurping on an evening beer or two--or three----------n.

There were intermittent moments of concern though--when cyclones loom one has to escape to the nearest wooded mangrove lined creek and tie off with nylon warps--and set anchors. Cyclones are the only grit in the Vaseline of an otherwise idyllic existence.

I lived aboard for 10 years and started out with no sailing experience. In the beginning I used the boat as a motor boat and sailed with friends (crew) on fair-weather days. It's not the "right" way to get into sailing, but it worked for me.

My dock neighbor had a bayliner buccaneer sailboat of 28-ish length. I looked at that model also because it seemed to have quite a bit of space for the size and price was low. I'd say they'd be sutable for your needs, but on the other hand, if you really want a comfortable live-aboard and do not have ANY plans of taking it anywhere, a powerboat with dead engines is a great way to go. There are many good powerboats with gas engines that are either dead or dying that people are literally giving away.

The advantages of a power boat for living aboard are many. First, you have MUCH more space. Second, there is almost always standing head room. Third, the big windows help keep the dreary darkness out and make it feel bigger still. Fourth, and my favorite part, you can see out of your windows while sitting down in your living room. This helps keep the "submarine effect" from happening.

Now about the living on the hook thing. Living aboard at the dock is easy and fun. Like I said, I did it for 10 years and could have done it my whole life on a 30 footer if not for what my family wants. Living aboard on the hook is MUCH more difficult. Electricity will be a problem and all live-aboards at anchor around here use generators. You will be constantly lugging gas, water, food, trash etc in your dinghy. Heating your boat will be a problem. Whatever you heat with with (diesel, propane, wood) will have to be ferried back and fourth. In the fall and winter the wind and waves really pick up and your ride to work and back home will be wet wet wet and very cold.

Where are you planning to anchor anyway? Chuckanut bay has some perminant residents but you have to check out where you would be motoring your dinghy to and if you can park a car where you will be motoring to. Also, it'll get REALLY windy and rocky at anchor around here in the fall/winter.

At the dock you can use electric heat and the boat is toasty all the time. You can have WiFi, marina showers and laundry etc. Bringing a girl back home to the boat for a sundown drink (and hopefully more) is much easier if you're on the dock than if it involves a dinghy ride in the wind/rain as well...

Here are a few cheap power boats that would make awesome live-aboards. Some even have functioning engines. Check out the second one, it's always a good thing when the broker says "Owner says make it go away." I bet you could pick that one up for 6K and it has functioning engines and looks good.

if the price is right, go for it. i have one and i have no problems. if you are conservative and can plan well, storage is ample. single handed sailing is easy for this boat. take the ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing course. headroom is tight. i am 6ft. i leave the hatch open
in the summer and have plenty of room. in the winter either get a canopy or get used to stooping over. if you want to spend the money you can raise the overhead a few inches.
as you get used to it, you'll get a better idea on how to improve upon it. good luck and good sailing.

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